Find the length of the unknown side. Round your answer to the nearest tenth. (4 points)

Image of a right triangle with a leg of 4, hypotenuse of 18, and second leg unknown.

16.5

17.5

18.5

22.0

1 answer

To find the length of the unknown side, you can use the Pythagorean theorem, which states that in a right triangle, the square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

In this case, we have a leg of 4 and a hypotenuse of 18. Let's call the unknown side x.

Applying the Pythagorean theorem, we can write:

x^2 + 4^2 = 18^2

Simplifying:

x^2 + 16 = 324

Subtracting 16 from both sides:

x^2 = 308

Taking the square root of both sides:

x ≈ √308

Using a calculator to find the approximate value:

x ≈ 17.5

Therefore, the length of the unknown side, rounded to the nearest tenth, is 17.5.

So, the correct answer is 17.5.